How Much Gold Can You Carry from Canada to India? 2026 Baggage Rules, 20g/40g Limits & Duty

Under India’s Baggage Rules, 2026 (in force since 2 February 2026), a passenger who has lived outside India for more than one year can bring in gold jewellery duty-free: up to 40 grams for women and 20 grams for other passengers. The old rupee-value cap on that jewellery was dropped. Gold bars, coins, biscuits and bullion get no duty-free allowance — they are dutiable from the first gram and must be declared at the Red Channel. Leaving Canada, the CBSA has no limit on gold you carry out, but coins that are legal tender count toward the CAD $10,000 currency-reporting threshold.✈ Quick Answer✓ Fact-checked · Sep 2026

1. What changed under the Baggage Rules, 2026

India replaced the Baggage Rules, 2016 with the Baggage Rules, 2026, effective 2 February 2026. For gold, three things matter to Canada–India travellers:

• Jewellery allowance is now weight-only. The old ceilings of ₹50,000 (men) and ₹1,00,000 (women) on the value of duty-free jewellery are gone; only the 20 g / 40 g weight limits apply.
• General duty-free allowance rose to ₹75,000 (from ₹50,000) for Indian residents, tourists of Indian origin and foreigners on non-tourist visas arriving by air. Gold jewellery within the weight limit sits outside this — it’s a separate allowance.
• Declarations moved online. The customs declaration form is now filed digitally; you still physically walk through the Red Channel if you have anything to declare.

2. Duty-free gold jewellery allowance (20 g / 40 g)

Passenger	Duty-free gold jewellery	Condition
Female passenger	Up to 40 grams	Resident outside India for more than 1 year
Other passengers (incl. men and children)	Up to 20 grams	Resident outside India for more than 1 year
Anyone abroad less than 1 year	No jewellery allowance	Jewellery counts against the ₹75,000 general allowance or is dutiable

Three points that trip people up. It’s ornaments only — a gold chain, bangles, earrings and rings qualify; a gold coin on a chain does not. It’s per person, not per family — a couple travelling together gets 60 g combined, but you can’t shift your allowance to your spouse. The “more than one year abroad” test is about residence, not this trip — Canadian PRs and citizens of Indian origin normally qualify; someone who moved to Canada eight months ago does not.

3. Gold bars, coins and bullion: duty from the first gram

Gold in any non-jewellery form — bars, biscuits, coins (including Canadian Maple Leafs), bullion — has no duty-free allowance at all. Every gram is dutiable and must be declared. Passengers of Indian origin who have been abroad more than six months may import gold as baggage on payment of duty (the traditional ceiling has been 1 kg per passenger); anyone else should not attempt to bring bullion in through passenger baggage. If you’re carrying investment gold, budget for duty on the full value and keep the purchase invoice from Canada.

4. Customs duty rates on gold in 2026

What you’re carrying	Duty treatment (2026)
Jewellery within 20 g / 40 g, abroad > 1 year	Nil
Jewellery above the weight limit	Excess is dutiable — gold jewellery attracts basic customs duty (15% headline rate) plus IGST on the value above the allowance
Gold bars / coins / bullion (any quantity)	Basic customs duty 6% + 3% IGST on the duty-inclusive value (≈ 9.2% effective), payable at arrival
Other goods above the ₹75,000 general allowance	10% basic customs duty on the excess (from 1 April 2026), plus applicable taxes

Duty is assessed on the customs-notified tariff value for gold on the day you arrive, not on what you paid in Canada — so the bill can differ from your invoice. Rates are set in the annual Union Budget and can change; the table reflects the position in September 2026.

5. Leaving Canada with gold: CBSA rules

Canada does not restrict how much gold you can take out of the country, and the CBSA does not charge anything on departure. Two things do apply. First, gold coins that are legal tender (a Canadian Gold Maple Leaf has a $50 face value, for example) are treated as currency for reporting purposes — if your total currency and monetary instruments are worth CAD $10,000 or more, you must report them to the CBSA before you leave. Second, if you plan to bring the same jewellery back to Canada, photograph it and keep receipts or an appraisal, or ask the CBSA for a BSF407 identification card for valuables before departure — this is what proves you didn’t buy it in India when you return.

6. How to declare gold at Indian customs

1. Before landing: file the digital customs declaration if you are carrying anything above the free allowance — bars, coins, or jewellery over 20 g / 40 g.
2. At the airport: collect your bags and go to the Red Channel. Do not use the Green Channel if you have anything to declare — walking through Green with dutiable gold is treated as smuggling under the Customs Act, 1962, even if you intended to pay.
3. Documents to have ready: passport with entry/exit stamps or travel history showing more than a year abroad, the Canadian purchase invoice, and your boarding pass.
4. Pay the duty: the officer assesses value at the notified tariff rate; duty is payable in Indian rupees or by card at the customs counter. Keep the receipt.

Penalties for non-declaration range from confiscation and a fine to prosecution for large quantities. Officers at Delhi and Amritsar in particular screen arrivals from Canada closely during the wedding season (November–February).

7. Bringing gold back to Canada

The return leg catches more people than the outbound. Jewellery you owned before the trip comes back duty-free if you can prove it (see the BSF407 tip above). Jewellery bought in India is a new good: after 48 hours abroad your personal exemption is CAD $800, and anything above that is subject to duty (gold jewellery is typically around 8.5%) plus GST/HST at your province’s rate. Investment-grade gold bars and coins of 99.5% purity or higher are generally exempt from GST/HST in Canada as “precious metals”, but you must still declare them, and coins that are legal tender count toward the CAD $10,000 currency report on arrival. When in doubt, declare — CBSA penalties for undeclared jewellery run 25–80% of value on top of the duty.

8. Quick reference table – Gold rules for Canada–India travel (2026)

Situation	Rule
Woman, abroad > 1 year, 40 g jewellery	Duty-free; Green Channel
Man, abroad > 1 year, 20 g jewellery	Duty-free; Green Channel
Woman with 60 g jewellery	Declare; duty on the 20 g excess
Any gold coins or bars	Declare; ~9.2% effective duty on full value
Abroad < 1 year	No jewellery allowance; jewellery counts against ₹75,000 general allowance
Leaving Canada	No limit; report legal-tender coins if total ≥ CAD $10,000
Returning to Canada with new jewellery	CAD $800 exemption after 48 h; declare the rest

9. Final takeaway

Wear or carry jewellery within 20 g (men) or 40 g (women), keep proof that you’ve lived in Canada for more than a year, and use the Green Channel. Anything else — more jewellery, or any bars or coins — goes through the Red Channel with a declaration and duty. For the return, photograph your jewellery before you leave Canada. And if you’re travelling for a wedding or Diwali, book early: see our Diwali 2026 flights guide, our companion guide on how much cash you can carry from Canada to India, and the baggage, customs and packing ultimate guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much gold can I carry from Canada to India in 2026?

Under the Baggage Rules, 2026, women can bring up to 40 grams and other passengers up to 20 grams of gold jewellery duty-free, provided they have lived outside India for more than one year. The former rupee-value cap no longer applies. Gold bars and coins have no duty-free allowance.

Can I bring gold coins or bars from Canada to India without duty?

No. Gold in non-jewellery form — bars, biscuits, coins and bullion — is dutiable from the first gram. Declare it at the Red Channel and pay 6% basic customs duty plus 3% IGST (about 9.2% effective) on the notified value.

What is the customs duty on gold jewellery above the allowance?

Jewellery above 20 g / 40 g is dutiable on the excess. Gold jewellery attracts basic customs duty at the 15% headline rate plus IGST, assessed on the customs-notified gold value on your arrival date rather than your Canadian invoice.

Does the 20 g / 40 g allowance apply if I’ve been in Canada less than a year?

No. The jewellery allowance requires more than one year of residence outside India. If you’ve been abroad for less than a year, jewellery you bring in counts against the ₹75,000 general duty-free allowance, and anything above that is dutiable.

Is there a limit on taking gold out of Canada?

Canada has no limit on exporting gold and charges nothing on departure. Gold coins that are legal tender count as currency for the CBSA’s CAD $10,000 reporting rule. For jewellery you plan to bring back, get a BSF407 identification card or keep photos and receipts to prove prior ownership.

What happens if I don’t declare gold at Indian customs?

Undeclared gold above the allowance can be confiscated, with a fine and, for larger quantities, prosecution under the Customs Act, 1962. Using the Green Channel with dutiable gold is treated as an attempt to evade duty even if you intended to pay.

Do I pay duty bringing gold jewellery bought in India back to Canada?

Yes, above your personal exemption. After 48 hours abroad you can bring in CAD $800 of goods duty-free; jewellery above that is subject to duty (typically about 8.5% for gold jewellery) plus GST/HST. Investment bars and coins of 99.5% purity are generally GST/HST-exempt but must still be declared.

Carrying gold for a wedding or family occasion? Call +1-877-700-0520 or WhatsApp us — we’ll book your Canada–India flights and tell you exactly what to expect at the customs counter on both ends.